How to respond to the "go empty hospitals" objection against the gift of healing?

TruthSeek3r

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An objection that I've heard many times from both atheists and cessationists against the gift of healing is the following:

If the gift of healing is for today, why do we not see faith healers emptying hospitals, healing people left and right from COVID, etc.?
How to respond to this objection?

Edit: another objection I've also heard is:

Why won't God heal amputees?
 

Sabertooth

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The Gifts of the Spirit are not "magic" at the beck & call of the believer.
We go where we are sent.
Even Jesus, Himself, was selective on who He healed and when.
 
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FutureAndAHope

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An objection that I've heard many times from both atheists and cessationists against the gift of healing is the following:

If the gift of healing is for today, why do we not see faith healers emptying hospitals, healing people left and right from COVID, etc.?
How to respond to this objection?

Edit: another objection I've also heard is:

Why won't God heal amputees?

I would consider myself someone who believes in divine healing and has seen it occur from time to time when sharing the gospel message.

One of the biggest barriers to hospital ministry is the structures set around it. I have attempted to ask hospitals to allow a table for people to come to for prayer. I have also attempted to create small fridge magnets, with a QR code to a prayer website, and attempted to put them in hospitals. In all of these circumstances, the answer from the hospital has been "no", or sheer silence.

Then, for me, there is a fear barrier, it is hard to act in faith when you know the hospitals don't want you there, and you are uncertain how people will respond also. I know this because I was admitted to the hospital recently, and had opportunities to pray, but fear prevented me.

I know it is a little cowardly, but when I was in emergency, I prayed for the people there without them knowing, that God would take away their pain, and illnesses, as they sat in the emergency department. Whether or not some of those prayers were answered I will never know, but one man who was admitted in terrible pain for a suspected broken leg was admitted at the same time as me. I prayed for him as I sat there, by the end of the night, he had no pain, he had his scan, and it was found his leg was not broken, the doctor could only put his initial pain down to a possible back spasm. Like I say I don't know if it was the prayer that helped him, but he was good to go home.
 
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topher694

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An objection that I've heard many times from both atheists and cessationists against the gift of healing is the following:

If the gift of healing is for today, why do we not see faith healers emptying hospitals, healing people left and right from COVID, etc.?
How to respond to this objection?

Edit: another objection I've also heard is:

Why won't God heal amputees?
People who say this stuff don't understand the nature of:
  • The gifts of healings
  • God Himself
  • How hospitals actually work (even pre covid)
Truth is, no healing will ever be good enough for these folks.

That being said I've had the opportunity pray for and see amazing healings in hospitals.
 
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ARBITER01

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An objection that I've heard many times from both atheists and cessationists against the gift of healing is the following:

If the gift of healing is for today, why do we not see faith healers emptying hospitals, healing people left and right from COVID, etc.?
How to respond to this objection?

Edit: another objection I've also heard is:

Why won't God heal amputees?

It's the children's bread, not anyone elses.

When a person has a ministry in the gifts of healings, they are not on their own to do whatever they want with the ministry and gift. This gift, as with many of them, is operated by The Holy Spirit to the glory of GOD,... we can't step out in faith and operate it on our own like we can with tongues.
 
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Soyeong

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An objection that I've heard many times from both atheists and cessationists against the gift of healing is the following:

If the gift of healing is for today, why do we not see faith healers emptying hospitals, healing people left and right from COVID, etc.?
How to respond to this objection?

Edit: another objection I've also heard is:

Why won't God heal amputees?

I think that these are the definitive books on miracles and would recommend them to anyone interested in answering objections about miracles:

https://www.amazon.com/Miracles-Credibility-New-Testament-Accounts/dp/0801039525
 
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tturt

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Jesus healed those who came to Him in person or requested He heal someone. Haven't seen where He healed everyone in the geographical area without a request.

There have been church services where everyone was healed. It is the gifts of healings.
 
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ARBITER01

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Jesus healed those who came to Him in person or requested He heal someone. Never seen where He healed everyone in the geographical area.

Maybe you ought to explain yourself better when you post.
 
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Sabertooth

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An objection that I've heard many times from both atheists and cessationists against the gift of healing is the following:

If the gift of healing is for today, why do we not see faith healers emptying hospitals, healing people left and right from COVID, etc.?
How to respond to this objection?

Edit: another objection I've also heard is:

Why won't God heal amputees?
Do you agree with those objections?
 
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.Jeremiah.

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I would consider myself someone who believes in divine healing and has seen it occur from time to time when sharing the gospel message.

One of the biggest barriers to hospital ministry is the structures set around it. I have attempted to ask hospitals to allow a table for people to come to for prayer. I have also attempted to create small fridge magnets, with a QR code to a prayer website, and attempted to put them in hospitals. In all of these circumstances, the answer from the hospital has been "no", or sheer silence.

Then, for me, there is a fear barrier, it is hard to act in faith when you know the hospitals don't want you there, and you are uncertain how people will respond also. I know this because I was admitted to the hospital recently, and had opportunities to pray, but fear prevented me.

I know it is a little cowardly, but when I was in emergency, I prayed for the people there without them knowing, that God would take away their pain, and illnesses, as they sat in the emergency department. Whether or not some of those prayers were answered I will never know, but one man who was admitted in terrible pain for a suspected broken leg was admitted at the same time as me. I prayed for him as I sat there, by the end of the night, he had no pain, he had his scan, and it was found his leg was not broken, the doctor could only put his initial pain down to a possible back spasm. Like I say I don't know if it was the prayer that helped him, but he was good to go home.

it seems to me that people who pray for earthly healing of people’s bodies (or any other earthly need) are putting themselves in the position of knowing God’s will.

why do people do that?

to me, God wants the absolute BEST for everyone at all times

it seems like a trap to me, wanting to ask God for something earthly

i used to do it all the time; those were my kinds of prayers

i still battle the tendency regularly

i force my own mind back to praying for God’s will to be done, not mine

it is a difficult subject for me, that I am still trying to understand

i may never understand it
 
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ARBITER01

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The "Why won't God heal amputees" is a very common objection. Here is a whole site based upon that argument.

It's common nowadays for Christians to make up all sorts of excuses for why GOD doesn't do things the way they think He should.

The gift of healings provides for every sort of healing imaginable,...... it's just no one seeks such a gift from GOD and wants to pay the price to receive it. They want their McMinistry and McPastor position right now.
 
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Mayflower1

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It is in accordance to a person's faith... Most people do not believe in miracle healings, so they cannot receive that. There is also a difference between a healing and miracle. It again goes back to faith. Many do not believe in speaking to the illness or speaking scriptures such as "By His stripes we are healed" over an illness. It really takes activated faith and then some things do take fasting and prayer.

Ones with a gift of healing have to be selective with who will have faith for it to be done.
 
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